House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries really wants you to know he doesn’t view the Trump administration as legitimate.
Over and over again, Jeffries prefaces his references to anything Donald Trump-related with the phrase “so-called.” You can’t miss the dripping sarcasm here from the New York Democrat, who’s among the best orators in the House.
Jeffries’ “so-called” blitz stretches back years. From the debate over the 2020 presidential election (“so-called objections”), to the 2022 New York redistricting battle (“so-called public hearings”), to the GOP’s 2024 House chances (“so-called opportunities”), to Pete Hegseth in 2025 (“so-called secretary of Defense”) and to his description of Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds (“so-called leader”).
But Jeffries’ most frequent target is Trump. Jeffries has called Trump the “so-called president” for years.
The “so-called” trend reached a fever-pitch this week.
Reacting to Trump posting a racist video over the weekend, Jeffries derided him as the “so-called president” among other choice words.
“The so-called leadership of Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin at the Environmental Protection Agency is shameful,” Jeffries said of the administration’s changes to greenhouse gas regulations.
During the course of the DHS funding fight, Jeffries repeatedly labeled the White House response a “so-called offer.”
Jeffries called the GOP voter ID bill that passed this week the “so-called SAVE Act.”
To cap it all off, Jeffries used the “so-called” moniker four times at his Thursday press conference: to refer to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the White House counter-offer on DHS, absolute immunity for ICE officers and a Democratic primary challenge that never materialized.
Jeffries’ style. The House minority leader loves alliteration. Just check out this mouthful he delivered on Thursday while eviscerating Bondi’s DOJ: “partisan, pathetic, pitiful, petulant pettifoggers.”
Jeffries delivers his takedowns with no notes and doesn’t bring cards with him on the floor.
But he isn’t alone in developing his own catchphrases. Who can forget former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s constant refrain of “for the children?” She only said it a billion times. At least.
